MADRID -- Espanyol captain and defender Dani Jarque, 26, has died from heart failure while on a pre-season tour of Italy, the Primera Liga club said on their website (www.rcdespanyol.com) on Saturday.
Jarque had trained in the morning but collapsed in his hotel in Coverciano while talking to a family member on the telephone in the early evening, Spanish media reports said.
"The Espanyol player died due to a systolic heart failure," the club said in a statement.
"(Club doctor) Doctor Cervera tried CPR on the player and used a defibrillator but said it was not possible to resuscitate.
"Within minutes, the first emergency ambulances arrived from Florence, and tried their defibrillators but again were unable to resuscitate."
Medical services tried to revive Jarque for an hour before pronouncing the player dead, the club said.
"Espanyol are distraught and wish to put themselves at the complete disposal of our captain's family," they added.
Spanish media reported the club were cutting short their Italian tour, where they had been due to play friendlies against Bologna and Livorno in the coming days, and were returning to Barcelona on Sunday.
Jarque came up through the youth ranks at Espanyol, helping them win the King's Cup in 2006 and to reach to UEFA Cup final in 2007, and had just been made captain of the club for the new season.
Jarque's death comes nearly two years after that of Sevilla midfielder Antonio Puerta who died on Aug. 28, 2007, three days after collapsing during a Primera Liga match against Getafe.
I still remember him when Juande Ramos was thinking of bringing him to Spurs a sad loss.
r.i.p
RIP
RIP.
really wtf ...... with those technology available now , those physicians for the club doing what ?
they should know this chap has got irregular heart beat , when doing physical fitness test before match day .
If they know he wouldnt have died.
RIP
damn.. RIP
Originally posted by Poolman:really wtf ...... with those technology available now , those physicians for the club doing what ?
they should know this chap has got irregular heart beat , when doing physical fitness test before match day .
He was in his hotel, players can't possibly be scrutinized 24/7. Anyway, if you've gotta go... you've gotta go.

Jarque, 26, collapsed at the team's hotel in Coverciano, Italy and was rushed to the local hospital after his heart stopped beating.
Despite the efforts of club doctors and Italian paramedics, he was pronounced dead late on Saturday evening.
Espanyol had been due to play Bolgona today but the game has been cancelled.
A statement the Spanish club said: "Misfortune has befallen Espanyol and the family of Dani Jarque this evening.
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"The doctor carried out CPR on the player and used a defibrillator, which showed that the arrest was non-responsive. "After a few minutes, the first ambulance arrived from the Florence emergency services, who tried again with the defibrillator they carried.
"The medical services continued carrying out CPR, administering adrenaline and atropine for an hour. "But the player's heart did not react, so finally that determined his death."
Jarque was at the hotel, talking on the phone to his fiancee who is eight months pregnant. But suddenly the midfielder stopped speaking. She alerted a couple of his team-mates and they found him collapsed in his room.
Jarque had spent his entire career with spanyol having joined the club when he was 12. He made his full debut in 2002 and was a part of the 2006 team that won the Copa del Rey in 2006.
Club president Daniel Sanchez Llibre said: "I find it very hard to believe these things happen. "Jarque was a great person and a great professional. He was very happy because he was about to become a father. "He loved Espanyol and was very excited with the new stadium and [his recent appointment to] the captaincy."